Kevin Whitcher
So there was no Mesut Ozil-style late surprise signing yesterday. Arsenal, with at least £65 million excess cash in the bank available for new signings, decided that the club is better served with the money in the bank rather than improving the quality of the players on the field.
With that kind of money, quality is available, and better players than the club currently have can be purchased. Strikers better than the Gunners have made moves this season. Realistic bids could have secured others. However, it takes the will to do it. A football club of genuine ambition will use all of its available resources to improve its chances. Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea have done that in recent seasons, and managed to this summer as well. Granted, Arsenal could not compete with them for some time, but in 2015 they certainly had a great deal of cash that was not used.
Who is to blame? Arsene Wenger? His reputation for dithering and not wishing to pay the going price would indicate that the fault lies with him. There seems no reason the board would leave cash in the bank if it hurts the team’s chances of success, although some will believe it. Ultimately though, it is the board’s fault for allowing the situation to develop whereby the manager is making the financial decisions. They should get a list of the players he is interested in at the end of May, then tell him to go on holiday.
Arsenal finished 12 points short of first place last season. The belief, presumably, is that the same group of players, plus Petr Cech will be good enough to make up the difference and gain 85 plus points. Arsene Wenger is not even certain who is his best centre forward, his options are that good.
If the club maintain the line that it is too difficult to buy players, then someone needs to be made accountable. It isn’t that difficult. You approach the club concerned and negotiate a deal. It isn’t rocket science.
When the stadium move was planned, the fans were informed by the then chairman Peter Hill-Wood that the spending on the team would not be affected. That turned out to be a lie. Now we are told by Ivan Gazidis that Arsenal can be Bayern Munich. He said this two years ago. How’s that plan going then Ivan? He looks pretty stupid now. Bayern Munich make efforts to strengthen their squad every summer by improving in positions where they think they are not as good as they can be. And make no mistake, it is a squad game now.
Even if one ignores the centre forward issue, there is not enough depth in other areas. Another Coquelin type is needed, whilst Calum Chambers is not yet ready for what he may be asked to do given how injury prone the two first choice centre backs are. So, two or three signings short of challenging. Sound familiar?
I haven’t looked elsewhere online or on Twitter to see the reaction, but I can imagine it isn’t positive. The first bad result after this will see the knives out again. Players such as Alexis will question the club’s genuine ambition and may consider a fresh challenge under a manager that can credibly compete for the big trophies rather than domestic cups. Arsenal’s resources mean they should habitually be in the last eight in Europe for starters. I have long believed another manager that does tactics could get more out of this group of players, as well as bringing in better with more assiduous use of the transfer market than the current incumbent. Wenger immediately handicaps his players in the Champions League by not even training on the opposition pitch the evening before the game so that his men can get accustomed to the surface and the environment.
Anyway, more groundhog day. The challenge for a top four place is back on, whilst those who can smell the coffee hope to God there are only two more seasons of this stasis.
I am now on Twitter@KevinWhitcher01.
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